Fantasy Writing Tips

Fantasy writing, or any genre fiction for that matter, requires top-notch
creative writing skills as well as an extraordinarily active
imagination and a strong feel for the traditional roots of
mythic epic on which fantasy fiction is (often) based.

Our Fantasy Writing Tips and Resources page provides you with
the best fiction writing books to help you hone your writing
skills, as well as fantasy genre-specific books with special
tips and inspiration to guide you in your own personal quest
for artistic expression.

We begin below with books specific to fantasy fiction, follow
up with books on creative writing in general, and conclude
with a few best-selling standard
works on publishing your novel.

As fantasy novels often require a great deal of research for
credibility, we hope you'll enjoy browsing the rest of our
website, with its emphasis on Celtic, Norse and medieval British
history and myth.

Orson Scott Card helps you define your niche (is it fantasy?
SF?), construct your world, develop your characters,
move your story along to its conclusion, and, once that's
done, publish your work. Card's not only one of the
best-known SF&F writers, but darn good at sharing
his knowledge with others. His book,
Characters and Viewpoint, is a dandy, too, and has
been on our shelf for years. We recommend these books
to all aspiring fantasy writers.

This is a terrific desk reference on everything medieval
(culture, history, weapons, dress, etc.) from around
the world with a strong emphasis on Europe. A very handy
book when you don't know the difference between a catapult
and a trebuchet or want to describe a meal, an entertainment,
or the heroine's attire. Lots of info on religious rites,
magic, monsters and cultural beliefs and customs as
well. The entries are brief - this is not an in-depth
history or encyclopedia, but a valuable quick reference
tool.

The
Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragons Lair
to Hero Quest
edited by Philip Martin

Less instructive than inspirational, this guide to fantasy
literature focuses on readings and analysis of classic
fantasy greats such as Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Ursula Le
Guin, and T.H. White, and essays on fantasy writing
by successful authors such as Patricia A. McKillip,
Jane Yolen, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Terry Pratchett.

Worlds
of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy
by David Gerrold

Gerrold's popular book on writing Sci Fi and Fantasy focuses on
creating magical worlds of wonder and making them credible
for your audience. This is key in any work of fiction,
regardless of genre, as the reader must feel at home
in the environment and believe not only in the plausibility
of the fictional world, but become completely immersed
in its "rightness" as reflected in the characters
and their actions. A terrific resource on world-building.

Quoting from Publishers Weekly, "The title piece aims to
help the aspiring writer navigate between the self-consciously
literary and the calculatingly commercial. Other essays
deal with discovering one's imaginative self; feeding
one's muse; the germination of Bradbury's novel Dandelion
Wine in his Illinois boyhood; a trip to Ireland; science
fiction as a search for new modes of survival; and the
author's stage adaptation of his classic novel Fahrenheit
451." We've included this book as inspiration because
we deeply respect Mr. Bradbury as perhaps the finest
science fiction writer of his generation (and that's
saying quite a lot).

King's best works (The Stand, The Dark Tower series)
are epic fantasy at it's finest. This autobiographical
journey through his life and work (inextricably entwined)
is not only highly entertaining and inspiring but filled
with King's usual no-holds-barred, down-to-earth, hugely
practical advice for the aspiring novelist. Recommended.

The
Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers
by Christopher Vogler

"Christopher Vogler asserts that 'all stories consist of a few common
structural elements found universally in myths, fairy
tales, dreams, and movies.'....Vogler's notion, based
on psychological writings by Carl Jung and the mythmaking
philosophy of Joseph Campbell, has been profoundly influential.
Many screenwriters have used Vogler's volume to understand
why certain scenarios sell, and to discover a blueprint
for creating mythic stories of their own." Vogler
claims that by following his advice on mythic structure
you will create best-selling books and screenplays -
a lot of people have apparently followed his advice
with success. Interesting and controversial.

The
Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines
by by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever, and Sue Viders

We highly recommend this practical, easy-to-understand
approach to character development. Characterization
is so very important and, truly, the hardest part of
writing. The authors teach you to use basic character
archtypes to create believable characters, as well as
character relationships and interactions. An excellent
guide for planning your characters and seeing them through
to the end of the story.

Everyone has trouble with at least one of these elements. Usually,
it's the "middle" that's the hardest. Strong
beginnings are easy to come by, and often the writer
knows how it's all supposed to end. But getting from
here to there is the hard part. Kress shows you how
to do just that in this down-to-earth guide that will
keep you moving your novel along to its triumphant conclusion.
Kress has a knack for encouragement and her "can-do"
attitude is infectious and engaging. Recommended.

This classic work by James Frey remains a best-seller year
after year. Written in a highly entertaining style,
Frey gives solid, practical advice on constructing a
quality novel using examples from many great works of
fiction. The usefulness of this book lies in Frey's
ability to help us grasp the "whole" and yet
not become overwhelmed into abandoning the effort. Highly
rated; a good investment for aspiring writers.

Publishing houses simply do not invest time (money) in book editing
the way they once did (nor simple proofreading, as we've
all been made painfully aware of in our reading of recent
years). You can no longer count on good editing help
and sympathy from your publishers - you will have to
go it alone. The authors are pros in this field, and
their book is a best-selling guide to editing for the
writer, a skill that is now absolutely necessary in
putting your best foot forward when shopping your work.
If you want to be published, you need to polish it up
ahead of time.

"For twenty-five years, it's been the only reference book
on the market published expressly to help fiction writers find
the best homes for their work. 2006 Novel & Short Story Writer's
Market includes: 1,500 fiction publishing opportunities, with specific
contact information, submission guidelines, and editorial needs;
more than 100 pages of instruction and inspiration, so readers can
learn the basics of the craft and the business; new interviews
with top names in the field, including Jonathan Lethem, Margot Livesey,
and Anne Perry. 2006 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market offers readers
the insight and advice needed to give their manuscripts the edge over
others in the slush pile." Get published.

Find the best fantasy book series and fantasy authors with their bibliographies and story summaries, interesting and informative medieval history books and ancient celtic history books and music, Robin Hood, Arthurian and other medieval legends and myths, renaissance and medieval music, fantasy and medieval historical fiction and nonfiction, intriguing gothic and fantasy art calendars, fantasy movie calendars, scenic Ireland, Scotland, and England calendars, historical movies and documentaries, favorite fantasy movies, even more.